Former National Bank Open champion Pablo Carreno Busta headlines 2025 qualifying list as Toronto event moves to a one-day preliminary round

[TORONTO, ON] July 8, 2025 – Tennis Canada released the list of players who are set to take part in the qualifying draw of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (NBO) in Toronto on Tuesday. With 16 main-draw spots on the line, 32 ATP players will compete in the preliminary round at Sobeys Stadium. New this year, qualifying will be a one-day event on Saturday, July 26, during the 407 ETR Family Weekend in association with LEGO, followed by main-draw action from Sunday, July 27 to Thursday, August 7.

The qualifying list includes some notable names. Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist and former World No. 10, who hoisted the NBO trophy in 2022 after his incredible run to the final as an unseeded player, will compete in the qualifying round. Croatian Borna Coric, who has a career-high ranking of No. 12 and has won three ATP Tour events, including a Masters 1000 title at the 2022 Cincinnati Open, will also be looking to earn a spot in the main draw. Joining those tour veterans is Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, who is a three-time champion on the ATP Tour and reached a career-high ranking of No. 24 in 2023, and ATP Next Gen star China’s Juncheng Shang, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 47 last fall.

Other players set to hit Sobeys Stadium courts during qualifying include Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic, who had his best result at a Grand Slam earlier this year, beating No. 22 seed Sebastian Korda to advance to the third round at the Australian Open, and the United States’ Ethan Quinn, who cracked the top 100 in June after a run to the third round at Roland-Garros this year.

“The depth of the player field at this year’s National Bank Open presented by Rogers is exceptional. Last week’s main-draw player list announcement and today’s list of qualifying players truly confirms that we have the deepest player roster in our tournament’s history,” said Karl Hale, Tournament Director, NBO Toronto. “Hosting the one-day qualifying round during our popular 407 ETR Family Weekend in association with LEGO means fans will get a chance to witness sensational tennis as these players, including a former NBO champion, vie for a spot in our main draw.”

For a complete list of players taking part in the qualifying round in Toronto, click here. To see the main-draw player list, click here.

Please note that four qualifying-round wild cards will be announced by the NBO and Tennis Canada at a later date. Five main-draw wild cards will also be announced in the coming weeks, including the champion of Tennis Canada’s new competition for Canadian players, the Road to the NBO.

The popular 407 ETR Family Weekend in association with LEGO will be held again this year from July 26-27, while TennisFest, a new event at the NBO featuring must-see entertainment, hands-on activities, and distinctive food and beverage offerings, will take place during the second weekend, August 2 and 3. The top 32 players will receive first-round byes, meaning they will make their tournament debuts on Tuesday, July 29, or Wednesday, July 30.

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS EXHIBITION AT THE NBO

For the first time ever, Tennis Canada will be hosting a wheelchair tennis tournament at the NBO. The aim of the event is to showcase Canadian talent and bring high-performance wheelchair tennis to the NBO fans, while promoting grassroots initiatives and growing the game of wheelchair tennis in Canada. The exhibition event will run from Sunday, August 3 to Tuesday, August 5, and will feature four singles matches and three doubles matches. Four of Canada’s top players will be taking part: Rob Shaw, World No. 7 (quads), Thomas Venos, World No. 39, Barry Henderson, World No. 104, and Shawn Courchesne, World No. 126.

“We’re extremely excited to host the inaugural Wheelchair Tennis Exhibition at the NBO, which will allow us to showcase wheelchair tennis at such a high-profile and prestigious tournament,” said Kai Schrameyer, National Coach of Wheelchair Tennis at Tennis Canada. “Since 2007, wheelchair tennis competitions have been held at all four Grand Slams, as well as a few ATP events. The Miami Open held its debut wheelchair tennis event in 2024, and it was such a big hit that they brought it back in 2025. We hope to be able to do the same and create an experience that’s not only great for the players, but also for everyone who will be watching and following the results.”

Further information about the event, including the order of play, will be communicated in due course.

Featured Photo: Pascal Ratthé